Nikon D5600 versus Nikon D7000

The Nikon D5600 and the Nikon D7000 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively,
in November 2016 and September 2010. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The D5600 has a resolution of 24 megapixel, whereas the D7000 provides 16.1 MP.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Nikon D5600 and the Nikon D7000 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the D5600 – represents the basis or 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

Body view (D5600 on the left)

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Nikon D7000 is notably larger (15 percent) than the Nikon D5600. Moreover, the D7000 is substantially heavier (68 percent) than the D5600. It is noteworthy in this context that the D7000 is splash and dust-proof, while the D5600 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can find an overview of suitable optics in the Nikon Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside
a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another
camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table.
Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D5600 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 53 percent) than the D7000, which puts it into a different market segment.
Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available.
Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting
and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be
found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors
differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D7000 is 1 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Sensor size

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Nikon D5600 offers a higher
resolution of 24 megapixel, compared with 16.1 MP of the Nikon D7000.
This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 4.80μm for the D7000). However, it should be noted that the D5600 is much more recent (by 6 years and 1 month) than the D7000, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D5600 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

Sensor resolution

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. Of the two cameras under review, the D5600 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the D7000 (overall score 4 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.6 bits higher color depth, 0.1 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.2 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the D5600 provides a higher frame rate than the D7000. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the D7000 is limited to 10800/24p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The D5600 and the D7000 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon D5600 and Nikon D7000 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

The D5600 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock.
In contrast, the D7000 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the D7000 was succeeded by the Nikon D7100.

Summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Nikon D5600 and the Nikon D5600? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.

More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in September 2010).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the D5600 is the clear winner of the match-up (12 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points.

D5600 12:06 D7000

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the D5600 and the D7000 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites. The detailed reviews can be accessed, respectively, on the websites of cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If the camera you are interested in is not available, please contact me, and I will try to add information on that model to the database.